Valve-operating device



Aug. 6, 1929. n. M. BELcHi-:R

VALVE OPERATING DEVICE Filed A1123. 20, 1924 Patented Aug.r 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES DONALD M. BELCHER, OF WINCIIESTER,

MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO COFFIN VALVE COMPANY, 0F NEPONSET, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

VALVE-OPERATING DEVICE.

Application filed August 20, 19,24. Serial No. 733,098.

This invention relates to valve operating devices and has 'for its object toprovide simple, eflieient and powerful means primarily .for effecting the manual operation of relatively large gate, sluiceway or other valves at predetermined speed or power consistent with lhe work to be accomplished.y

ln the accompanyingdrawings 'wherein I have shown merely Yfor rillustrative purposes certain embodiments of my invention:

Fig. 1 isa front elevation of thepre'ferred form of stand;

Fija'. 2 a plan section taken on they line 2 2 of Fig'. 3, certain parts of the device being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a. vortici .l section, partly in elevation, of the grate valve stand and a portion of a. valve stem, also instrumentalities for operating the latter; and

F el is a detail section, partly 'in elevation, of a stand embodying,y a modified 'form' ot gearing'.

In ,carrying out my invention I preferably employ a hollow stand l ot appropriate and pleasing design to which Amay be attached the body oli a Yalve such lfor example as a gate, sluiccway or other valve 'of large dimensions. The valve body being' of well known torni and constituting` no part of the :invention is yomitted from the drawings.` Arranged within said stainlard to move therein when the valve proper opened or closed is a valve stem 2 in the present example (,:onsisting' of a screw-threaded shaft having axial movements and, being" attached to the movable member' of the valve in the usual manner, rotation thereof is prevented.

Desirably the stand 1 is oi. a height most ermvenient for the `manual operation of the valve and furthermore the upper portion ot the stand is preferably enclosed so as to perM mit the operating' parts to be run Ain oil. lncluded (in said. parts is a. rotary member, herein a nut 3 4serewsthreaded internally to engage the screw thrcaes of ythe shaft 2 and providelfl with `an annular flange l `near its lower/end which substantially lits a cylindrical bore 5 of the stand and rests and`operates upon` an appropriate anti-friction,

bearing' `6 adapted to resistthe dmvuward thrust ofl said nut. A suini-ar bearing' 7 en- Xartigos the upper face of said flange el and receives the upward thrust of said nut preventing axialmovement ofsald nut and thereby insuring the proper axial movement el saidscrew.

The cylindrical bore 5 of the stand is preferably olf sul'licient ylength to contaii'i the two bearings Gand 7 and the flange 4, the upper' bearing' 7 being retained in proper location by a partition 8 forming the bottom ot a, removable hollow top 9 adapted to enclose the operating means for said nut and constitutinloI a parto'l" the oil eontaii'iing' chamber of the stand. i

The gate to 'which the stem 2 is attached is very oilteu of great weight and the pressure of fluid thcreagainst is such as torequire considerable more power to operate them at one Atime rthan at another and naturally these pressures vary with the size of the valve and also with the head ot water controlled thereby. In other words there are times when the application of pressure directly upon the nut to rotate the same may be sufficient to raise or lower the gate of the valve attached to said. stem 2 but there are other times when a great reduction in speed and a consequent increase in power is necessary inorder to ell'ect such nmveinents.

`Various devices may be employed forincreasing;` or diminishing the power or ratio olf the operating` means but preferably means are provided whereby the operating element, such for example as a, hand` crank, may be applied at one of a number of operating points `involving a different ratio of gearing so that, without .more than shifting said op erating' element 'from one of said connections to' another, the required speed and power ma be obtained. For convenience I have provi( ed 'for accomplishing the aforesaid purposes a worin gear 10 ot a type' similar to that used in the transmission oit motor vehicles being vrelatively small and of high grade materials capable ot' withstanding severe strains and also of compact construction sofas tooccupy a very small amount of space, thus permitting the same to be completely enclosed and operating` continually in oil as previously stated.

hleshing with the worm wheel l0 which is herein shown keyed at 11 to the nut 3, is a worm 12 secured to a shaft 13 journalled in suitable bearings 14, 14 formed in the upper portion 9 of said stand, said shaft having collars or flanges 15 on opposite sides of said worin and engageable with end thrust bearings 16 to prevent axial movement of said worm.

Obviously the shaft 13 may be extended so as to protrude from the casing 9 and have operating means attached thereto whereby it may be directly rotated to impart movement to the screw 2 but in the present example l ireterably provide an extension shaft 17 which is coupled, in any suitable manner to the shaft 13 at 13, herein within the hub 19 ot' a` spur gear 20. The shaft 17 is appropriately supported in a portion ot the housing` 9 as, tor example, through an extension 21 ot said hub 19 which is' journalled at 22 in an appropriate bearing 23.

The shaft 17 is extended through said bearing 23 so as to protrude a substantial distance therebeyond and has a key 2st extending substantially the lengt-h ot said shait and having engagement with a slot in said hub 19 and said shaft, thus causing the two to operate in unison. An operating member, herein a. crank 25, is adapted to iit the protruding end ot said shaft 17 and has a keyway 26 to receive the key 2a ot said shaft, whereupon rotation oi said crank will impart a like movement to the shaft and through the shaft 13, to the worm 12, worm gear 10 and nut 3, the speed oi' the latter being reduced and its power increased according to the ratio ot the worin 12 to said gear 10.

ther reducing devices may also be provided and herein I have shown in connection with the gear 20, a pinion 27 secured te a shaft 28 journalled in bearings 29, 29 inv said housing 9, said shalt 28 also having a protruding end 30 provided wi th a key 31 adapted also to tit the keyway 26 ot the hand operating member 25 so as to effect rotation or the shat't 28 and thereby, through the pinion 27, screw 20, worm 12, and worm gear 10, impart a still slower but more powerful movement to said nut 3 than would be possible with the operating member 25 connected directly with the shaft 17. To provide for greater strength the bearings 14 and 22 .tor the shafts 13 and 17 respectively are placed close to opposite faces ot the gear 20 and likewise the bearings 29, 29 ot said shaft 28 are placed close up to the opposite faces otl the pinion 27, said bearings being formed in part in the housing 9 and in part in a cover plate 32.

The cover 32 is provided with a marginal iiange 33 adapted to engage a similar marginal flange 34 in the member 9, bolts being provided for extending through both flanges and thus tightly7 and securely fastening the said parts together.

In addition to the bearings 6 and 7 oi' said nut the upper end ot said nut is arranged to be guided herein by a replaceable bearing ring interposed between the end of the hub 36 ot said gear 10 and a portion 37 ot the cover plate 22 surrounding said gear hub. The portion 9 ot' said gear housing is, as previously stated, readily removable and may thereby be replaced by others designed to contain gears ot di'lferent proiortions for the changing ot the speed ratios ot' the train ot gears through which motion is imparted troni the operating nie-ans to thel nut 3 and vt'urthu'inore the ratio ot the gears on the shatts 1T and may he supil'ileinented by gears ot larger or smaller diameters without replacing the VL, sentsection 9. The entire standard construction is such as to readily permit changes Vin said ratio without necessitating the re placing et' the entire stand but only the moving parts thereot or the immediate portions et the stand supporting said parts. Any replacing ot' parts, however small, docs uire more or less work and occupies considerable time and the nece 'ty et this has been greatly reduced by providing the said extensions on the shafts 17 and 23 and permitting the operating handle 25 to be shittcd from one to the other, said operating handle being oti'set at 33 to permit the hub ot said operati ffmenibcr to bo placed upon either one oi said shafts and rotated without interfering with the other shat't.

From the toregoing description it will be clearly apparent that an operating device .tor valves is provided that may be operated at diiierent speeds and transmit dil'ereni'i powers with but little or no adjust-ment ot the device ranging troni extrennily high power to relatively low power and troni slow speed to high speed.

lt also within the scope and purpose of the invention to still turtl reduce the power ot the device by substituting other roi-ins ot gearing in place ot the worin gears employed such, for example, as l have shown in the modified term ot' Fig. 4; which coinprises a housing Ll() to take the place olf the housing 9 upon the standard 3 and to contain a bevel gear 41 which is attached directly to the end et the nut 10 and secured to rotate therewith by a key L12. The gear Ll1 also includes a removable anti-'friction ring L13 which engages a cylindrical portion 44 ot the cover 'li'or said housing 40. A. pinion 15 is arranged to mesh with the gear l1 and is secured to a shaft. 4G journal1 red at -17 in an appropriate bearing 413 in said housing 40. The shatt- 46 is extended so as to protrude trom the said housing at Ai9 and is provided with a key 50 to lit the key slot 26 ot' t-he operating handle 25 shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

As in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the shaft et@ may be provided with a spur gear 51 which, in turn, may be operated by appropriately proportioned driving pinions from a counter shaft similar to the shaft 23 of Fig. 2, thus providing a plurality of oplil() Ill Cab

erating spindles or shafts with a corresponding range of variation in ratio of operating gears.

Although I have shown and described eertain specilic applications for nforking my invei'ition it .is to be distinctly understood that the invention is not limited to the construction. herein shown butshould be construed as broadly as the appended claims will allow.

Claims: l

l. In a device oit' the character described, in combination, a stand, a valve slen'iwoper* able Within said stand, a nut operatively connected with said stem and Ajo'nrnalled to rotate in said stand, a removable housing section :tor said stand, means enclosed within the said removable housing section for operating said stemr at different speeds, ineluding a driven gear for operating said nut, a bearing ring on said gear adapted to rotatably engage a portion of said housing, reduction geariiig adapted to transmit motion to said driven gear and said nut and operating means for said reduction gearing adapted to connect With said train ol gears at one of a plurality ot points to eii'ect the operation of said stem at different speeds.

2; In combination, a stand, a screwthreaded valve stem movable through said stand, a nut rotatably arranged in said stand in engagement with said stem, a train of gears for rotating said nut, and a two-part casin g separated approximately rin the plane ol the axis o'f one ott said gears for enclosing said gearing, said casing being removably supported nponsaid stand.

25. In combination, a stand, a valve stem movable in said stand, an operating member itor said stem rotatable in said stand, a driven gear secured to rotate with said stem operating member, a. train of reducing gears 'from said casing in a plane approximately containing the axes ot said reducing 4. In combination, a stand having a bearing chamber at its upper end, bearings in said chamber, a screW-tlneaded'valve stem movable through said bearing chamber, a rotatable nut arranged to rotate in said bearings7 a train ofi reducing gears .tor operating said nut including a plurality of shafts arranged With'their axes lying in a common horizontal plane7 and an oil-tight casing for enclosing said train of gears and removably supported upon said stand, said oiltight casing being formed in. two parts separable .in the plane of the axes of said shaft to per mit substitution olli the elements of said gear train.

5. In a valve mechanisn'i, in, combination, a valve stand provided with a bearing chamber, a scre\vtln.eaded stem movable through said chamber, a nut arranged in said chamber in operative relation to said stem, a train ot gears for operating said nut including a plurality ot' shafts and means for enclosing said train of gears and for containing foil Within which said gears are arranged to run, said gear enclosing .means being separable in the plane of the axes of saidy gears to permit removal of said gears and the substitution therefor of a set of gears of different ratio without disturbing the other elements of said mechanism.

In testimony whereof7 I have signed my name to 'this specification.

DONALD M. BELCHER. 

